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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, February 6, 2003

OUR SCHOOLS • HAKIPU'U LEARNING CENTER
Environmental classroom breeds learning by doing

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

KANE'OHE — For Hakipu'u Learning Center, the Windward community is a laboratory that takes its students to a taro lo'i, an ancient fishpond and the beach every week for lessons in ecology, culture and physical education.

Kekoa Kruszona carves a tiki out of a coconut tree trunk during a class at Hakipu'u Learning Center in Kane'ohe. The class covers the environment, wood identification, tree recognition and recycling.

Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

The charter school, which bases its program on Hawaiian culture, wants its students to learn self-sufficiency and become stewards of the land through projects that exemplify its motto: The learning is in the doing.

"In our school, we're assisting and guiding the students to be responsible for their own learning," said Maunalei Love, school co-director. Students don't learn from a teacher lecturing in a classroom; they learn through projects — lots of them, Love said.

Students also take part in weekly interest groups such as surfing to learn about ocean swells, snorkeling to learn about fish and limu identification, and photography to learn about art, she said. But they must write about each project.

"By the time they graduate, we hope they have at least one year of college credits," Love said. "Seniors will be required to do a larger project requiring maybe 500 hours of work."

While many of the regular school subjects can be learned through a cultural base, math has been a problem for the school, so it has separated the subject into a classroom experience, she said.

"We've learned that math is a little tricky to learn on your own," Love said.

Authorized by the Legislature in 1999, charter schools use public money and are part of the Department of Education, but operate largely independent of the state school administration. Hakipu'u is one of 25 charter schools in the Islands, about half of which have programs that are Hawaiian culture-based. Love is one of the founders of the charter school movement in Hawai'i.

About 85 percent to 90 percent of Hakipu'u's students are part Hawaiian.

This year a group of Hakipu'u students is tapping into a resource at Windward Community College to learn wood and stone sculpting from a college instructor. The class covers the environment, wood identification, tree recognition and recycling.

The school, on the grounds of Hawai'i State Hospital, and the college woodcarving shop are next door to each other, making it convenient for students to attend the sessions.

The hands-on experience is welcomed by students who said they enjoy learning about the culture as they produce such things as poi pounders, tikis and planters.

It's a nice diversion from other school projects, said eighth-grader Brittany Waracka.

"We're working on a project, but it's not physically writing it down," Waracka said. "It's learning by doing."

The school faced eviction last year but was able to negotiate with the hospital and the college to obtain another hospital building that will be turned over to the college.

The old structure is in need of repair, and parents, staff and the community have made improvements by holding a work day once a month. But more work must be done before the school moves in August.

Love said volunteer laborers and donations of floor tiles and window material would be appreciated as they remodel bathrooms and the kitchen.

To help out, call the school at 235-9155.

• What are you most proud of? Learning to be stewards of the earth and to be economically sustainable, said student Dani Aylett.

• Best-kept secret: The school is like an 'ohana, a family, where adults are addressed as uncle and auntie and everyone is involved in decisions, including children and parents. School groups are called 'ohana groups.

• Everybody at our school knows: Calvin Hoe, who lives in Hakipu'u and is a Hawaiian cultural specialist. He's the guiding light to students who respect him and never give him trouble. Respected throughout the Windward community, Hoe is a mentor for the children.

• Our biggest challenge: Working with the current system to allow charter schools to be equally financed and successful innovation to take place.

• What we need: Financing equity, facilities support and special education support services.

• Special events: Hakipu'u is hosting 20 students and staff from Minnesota New Country School, a nationally recognized facility. Hakipu'u will send a group to Minnesota next year. Hakipu'u will host makahiki games at Kualoa Beach Park next week and will send students to Moloka'i in May.

To get your school profiled, reach education editor Dan Woods at dwoods@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5441.

• • •

At a glance

• Where: Windward Community College Campus

• Phone: 235-9155

• Director: Maunalei Love

• School nickname: HLC

• School colors: Gold and black

• History: Founded by the Hakipu'u 'Ohana and others committed to learning excellence, the school is tied to a centuries-old vision that has been inspired by the learning and education historically connected to the Hakipu'u Ahupua'a.

• SATs: Eighth-graders last year achieved above the state and district averages, Love said.

• Computers: 30 Macintoshes

• Enrollment: 44